Glove with Tabs

ABSTRACT

A glove having tabs. The tabs extend from the palm and dorsal sides of the wrist opening such that they can be gripped when the glove is donned to assist in removing the glove from the wearer&#39;s hand. In an embodiment of the glove, the finger and thumb sheaths are arranged in a symmetrical manner, thereby allowing the glove to be used in an ambidextrous fashion. In another embodiment, the glove is constructed from a paper or paper-based material so that it can be conveniently dispensed and used as a sanitary disposable hand covering.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to gloves. More particularly, the present invention relates to gloves that are designed to be easily removable.

Currently available disposable gloves can be inconvenient to remove after the wearer is finished using them because the wrist opening of the glove hugs tightly to the wrist of the wearer. Removing the gloves is especially difficult when the wearer is wearing a second glove that is soiled and is attempting to avoid making contact with the skin of his or her wrist or forearm with the soiled glove when removing the opposing glove. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for gloves, whether disposable or otherwise, that are easy to grip in order to be removed without making contact with the underlying skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of gloves now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a glove having tabs extending from the palm and dorsal sides of the wrist opening that can be gripped when the glove is donned to assist in removing the glove from the wearer's hand. In an embodiment of the glove, the finger and thumb sheaths are arranged in a symmetrical manner, thereby allowing the glove to be used in an ambidextrous fashion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the palm side of an embodiment of the glove.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the dorsal side of an embodiment of the glove.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 of an embodiment of the glove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the glove with tabs. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown perspective views of the palm and dorsal sides of an embodiment of the glove. An illustrative embodiment of the glove comprises a hand receiving portion 103 having a palm, i.e. volar, side and a dorsal side. The glove further comprises one or more finger sheaths 101 and a thumb sheath 102 extending from the hand receiving portion 103. The hand receiving portion 103, finger sheaths 101, and thumb sheath 102 are arranged and dimensioned to correspond to the hand of a wearer. In one embodiment of the glove, the finger sheaths 101 and the thumb sheath 102 are arranged in a manner corresponding to the layout of either a left hand or a right hand of a wearer. In another embodiment of the glove, the finger sheaths 101 and the thumb sheath 102 are arranged symmetrically about the hand receiving portion 103 such that the glove can be utilized ambidextrously.

The glove further comprises a wrist opening 104 for receiving a hand and wrist of a wearer therethrough. In one embodiment of the present glove, the wrist opening 104 on at least one of the dorsal side and the palm side of the glove is configured to extend inwardly from the wrist of the wearer. The wrist opening 104 extending generally towards the wearer's fingertips eliminates tightness around the wrist. In the depicted embodiment of the glove, the wrist opening 104 extends inwardly on both the dorsal side and the palm side of the glove.

The glove still further comprises a first tab 121 extending from the wrist opening 104 on the palm side thereof and a second tab 122 extending from the wrist opening 104 on the dorsal side thereof. The first and second tabs 121, 122 are elongated structures extending from the peripheral edge of the wrist opening 104. In one embodiment of the glove, each of the tabs 121, 122 have a length configured to extend at least to the wrist line (indicated generally as line 201) bisecting the forearm 203 and the hand 202 of the wearer. In one embodiment of the glove, the tabs 121, 122 are constructed from the same material as the rest of the portions of the glove.

In one embodiment of the present glove, the glove is constructed from a paper or paper-based material. In this embodiment of the glove, a plurality of the gloves can be folded or packaged in a box for convenient dispensing therefrom, attached end-on-end via a perforated line of connection and dispensed in the form of rolls, or packaged for dispensation in any other manner commonly associated with paper products. It is intended that this embodiment of the glove can be used in conjunction with dispensers placed in restrooms and other such locations so that the present glove can be used as a disposable, sanitary hand covering.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a sectional view along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 of an embodiment of the glove. In one embodiment of the glove, at least one of the first tab 121 and the second tab 122 include a lip 131, 132 at the distal ends thereof. The lips 131, 132 are shaped to curve away from the forearm of the wearer when the glove is worn. The lips 131, 132 allow the wearer to grasp the tabs 121, 122 to remove the glove without contacting the wearer's skin, thereby allowing the wearer grip one of the tabs 121, 122 of the glove with a soiled hand and remove the glove without risk of contaminating the underlying clean skin. In one embodiment, the tabs 121, 122 are constructed from a non-rigid material that is reinforced at the lips 131, 132 to create the desired curvature, such as via a rigid, curved material extending around the peripheral edges of the lips 131, 132.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A glove, comprising: a hand receiving portion having a palm side and a dorsal side; the hand receiving portion having a finger sheath configured to receive a finger of a hand placed in the glove and a thumb sheath configured to receive a thumb of the hand placed in the glove; the hand receiving portion having a wrist opening; a first tab extending from the wrist opening on the dorsal side; and a second tab extending from the wrist opening on the palm side. 2) The glove of claim 1, wherein the finger sheath and the thumb sheath are arranged in a symmetric manner. 3) The glove of claim 1, wherein the glove is an ambidextrous glove. 4) The glove of claim 1, wherein the glove is constructed from a material, the material comprising a paper material. 5) The glove of claim 1, wherein the first tab and the second tab are non-rigid. 6) The glove of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first tab and the second tab further comprise a curved lip at a distal end thereof. 7) The glove of claim 1, wherein the wrist opening extends towards the finger sheath on each of the palm side and the dorsal side. 8) The glove of claim 1, wherein the first tab and the second tab are each configured to extend at least to a wrist line of a wearer. 